Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 628 Huangpi Road Pacification

—A month later
Bai Canhong, who once dominated the three regions of Southwest China, was much more docile than others imagined.

After receiving the imperial edict in Fengming Prefecture, the old cultivator led over a hundred disciples and the vast wealth accumulated by Zhaixing Tower over the years to the capital to pay homage to Emperor Wei.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Star-Picking Tower only has a small number of disciples, which combined wouldn't even fill a single flying boat. The fleet accompanying Bai Canhong this time is quite large.

On the day they left, these hundred-odd disciples were accompanied by a hundred and fifty flying boats of various ranks, almost covering half of Tengwen Prefecture. Even if all the disciples of Zhaixing Tower were assigned to them, it would be difficult to control them.

In the end, Xiang Tianxing had to step in and borrow a group of people from Wanbao Trading Company before things could proceed.

Speaking of Wanbao Trading Company, this company with a considerable background made a fortune from the beginning of the war in the southwest until it was recruited by Zhaixinglou. It has always been able to make money honestly without being disturbed by outsiders, which is the envy of many.

The headmaster Kang, who had never relinquished his title of merchant, was envious. His Chongming Sect could also earn spirit stones while lying down, which was much more worthwhile than risking his disciples' lives to charge into battle.

However, everyone has their own destiny, and some things cannot be obtained by asking. Compared to those families who were wiped out and their lineages were cut off in the battle in the southwest, what does it matter that Chongmingzong only lost a few lives?
At times, Master Kang is a content man.

He was not unaware that the barrier around Cold Crow Mountain was far less stable than he had heard since childhood, and that it might collapse at any moment.

The conflict between the legitimate and illegitimate sons of the Kuang family did not seem as intense as others had expected. Moreover, the legitimate branch of the Kuang family not only had some tacit understanding with the outer sea, but also seemed to have connections with the Lishan branch, which should have been their sworn enemies.
Furthermore, if the Ninth Prince has indeed attained the Nascent Soul stage in recent years, then whether Emperor Wei is truly selfless is something even the group of elders from the Kuang family gathered in the Xuanqiong Palace might find difficult to determine.
In addition, news came at this time that when war broke out in the southwest, the rest of David's tribes were not as calm as they appeared.

However, after hearing that Kuang Liuting was immediately amazed upon his appearance and had calmly passed by Master Yunfu, the officials of the court were unusually united in their efforts.

Despite Taiyi Temple's status as the leading Taoist sect in the Wei Dynasty, with its influence spreading throughout various sects, the abbot of Taiyi Temple, who was also somewhat astonished by Kuang Liuting, found himself unable to find a way to counter the actions of high-ranking officials under Emperor Wei, including the Left Prime Minister Gui Nianzhi, if they were willing to act.

Since Bai Canhong had made a rare splash in the three southwestern regions, and Taiyi Temple had not been particularly resolute, everyone had put away their own little schemes.

It is true that the current dynasty of David is in turmoil and has caused widespread resentment, but it has not yet reached the point of being completely exhausted.

If the thoughts in the minds of the leaders of each Nascent Soul sect could be extracted, they would immediately become a tangled mess, and it would depend on whether the Taiyi Temple Master had the ability to sort them out.

Even though the once-powerful David rarely appeared, the legacy and prestige he left to posterity were far too great, and the fear and terror he instilled in various families were far too numerous.

It is true that "the world has suffered under the Wei regime for too long," but the leaders of various factions, seeing that the "stubborn and uneasy" Blood Sword Sect has now had its lineage severed and the "reining in its horse at the edge of the cliff" Star Picking Tower has been given preferential treatment, naturally had to change their minds.

Kang, the sect leader, claimed he didn't fully understand these changing circumstances, but he often discussed them with the elders of the Fei family, so he wasn't completely ignorant.

However, he learned most of these things from his three elders, Fei Nanying, Fei Donggu, and Fei Dongwen. After the envoy Wei Dajian left, Fei Tianqin returned to Yingzhou on his own.

It's not hard to guess what he went there for; even Master Jiang could guess that he was going to deliver the Xuan Chen Infant Nourishing Pill to Fei Ye.

In addition, given the great achievements of the Fei family members in the battle in the southwest, the Fei family of Yingzhou should see a significant improvement in their situation in the capital region.

Just look at how, after the death of Master Yueyin, the mediocre people of Wulao Mountain were still able to maintain their businesses in the northern mountain region, apart from the prime locations of Yuanzhou, Fengmingzhou, and Santingzhou. This shows that the Duke of Qin was indeed a cut above the ordinary Kuang family members, and at least had some humanity.

Although it was not much, it was still a rare find for the Kuang family, who were known for their harshness and lack of gratitude.

The cultivators of Wumu Mountain would not complain, after all, compared to the fourth-tier spiritual mountain in Yuanzhou, it was more important to hold on to the little bit of favor left by True Person Yueyin and hope to protect their possessions.

In this sense, even though the cultivators of Wumu Mountain are mediocre and useless, they have at least inherited the ability of Master Yueyin to assess situations. This old cultivator is quite gratified.

If the disciples of Wumu Mountain knew how to be content, relying on their past foundation, their chances of regaining their status as a Nascent Soul Grand Sect would be far greater than those of other sects.

Although Wu Lao Mountain had visibly declined, the sect leader, Kang, who had finally hoped for peace in the southwest and could now focus on cultivating and nurturing his disciples, would not allow his Chongming Sect to stagnate.

Huangpi Dao acquired eleven states in total. The four northern states formerly under the control of Yunze Wuzun Temple acquired thirteen Golden Elixir sects, while the remaining seven states jointly managed by Hongfen Temple and Qianfo Forest only acquired fourteen.

Of course, most of them only have one or two old and weak Golden Core cultivators to maintain appearances.

Thanks to the great leader Kang's repeated care and assistance, and the arrival of the powerful Fei family of Yingzhou, Huangpi Road now only has twelve households with senior cultivators in charge, and most of the leaders have suffered heavy losses.

However, those who managed to survive were still considered law-abiding families. But under the control of Yuejian Mountain and Zhaixing Tower, presided over by Master Yunfu, it was impossible to claim that they were completely innocent and had not betrayed the cause.

At this time, the Duke of Qin's mansion had not yet issued any instructions, so Headmaster Kang did not intend to make things difficult for them.

After all, although the leaders of the various factions in Huangpi Road were all silent, Chongming Zong did not yet have the ability to clean up all the counties and prefectures in Huangpi Road by relying on just one faction.

In other words, with the abilities of Master Kang, he might be able to reclaim a few prefectures at a small cost, but he did not intend to do so.

After all, the Qin State Duke's Mansion is currently enjoying its greatest prestige, and all the dukes are eager to seize this newly acquired glory. Even if Kang Dabao wants to conquer cities and territories, he still needs to choose a suitable time.

He knew Kuang Liuting's temperament very well. Speaking of which, the imperial family and nobles were also pitiful. Even if he knew you were a great villain, if you showed yourself to be a loyal minister in his eyes, he would be quite lenient with you.

Therefore, the head of the Kang clan was quite honest. Apart from Huo and Xian prefectures, which had been occupied long ago, he only selected a portion of the remaining Kang clan members from Chenjiang who were living in Xuanwei City to return to Sizhou, return to their homeland, and rebuild their ancestral temple.

These Kang family cultivators are nominally close relatives of the Kang family, the great leader of the Chongming Sect. Even though Kang Xiangyi, the only fake alchemist, has not returned, they can still maintain control over a province among the surrounding sects and families who know what's good for them.

Although Master Kang has not expanded his territory these days, he still has to accept gifts.

The twelve remaining Golden Elixir sects of Huangpi Dao are one of them.

However, the Yun, Hong, and Qian families were originally skilled at extracting marrow from bones, and these Golden Core sects were not considered wealthy in the past. After a great battle, their offerings were naturally meager.

Fortunately, Kang Dabao was always kind-hearted and didn't find it too offensive. He simply nodded and accepted it, then subtly hinted to Ye Zhengwen, who already understood, that this was the end of it and that he would just accept more once the guest had recovered.

If by then these poor families have not been ordered by Kuang Liuting to serve as a warning to others.

Besides the various sects of Huangpi Dao, there was another sect that presented gifts to Chongming Sect: Yuejian Mountain, which had been struggling to maintain itself in the ancient Xuandao sect after one of its two head masters died and the other betrayed it.

However, his family now not only has to face the alliances and collusion of various families who were previously oppressed by Yuejian Mountain, but also the covetousness of many outsider Nascent Soul cultivators.

Although Kang Dabao's Chongming Sect has some influence, it is not a reliable backer, and in fact, it is not even comparable to Yuejian Mountain, which still has more than ten Golden Core Peak sects.

Therefore, the dragon prince's sending of envoys and gifts was merely to make good relations with his neighbors, and had no deeper meaning.

Having received a gift, one must find a suitable time to return it, which is something that greatly displeases Headmaster Kang.

However, according to the information he received, Yuejian Mountain's Nayulongzi was quite perceptive. On the very day that Zhaixinglou accepted the imperial pardon, he rushed to the Duke's mansion and pledged his loyalty to Kuangliuting.

Although Sect Leader Kang hadn't witnessed the scene firsthand, he had only heard others recount the words and actions of the Dragon Prince. Even the Kuang family head, who had earned the title of "Kuang Jinzhong," sighed in shame upon seeing it. This gave him an idea of ​​how utterly repulsive the obsequious, fawning manner of this upright cultivator from a Nascent Soul sect would be if he were willing to lower himself.

However, Kang Dabao had no right to laugh at others; otherwise, he would be like a crow standing on a pig.

Furthermore, he did not believe that Kuang Liuting would give up his desire to regain control of the Ancient Profound Path simply because of a few flattering words from the Dragon Prince.

It should be understood that although Gu Xuan is small, it is a major thoroughfare, and in terms of wealth, it is no less than Shan Nan. Now that they have finally gotten rid of the Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be strange if the Kuang family did not have any ambitions.

However, since Master Huquan died at the hands of Master Yunfu, who had betrayed the Taiyi Temple, the Kuang family, if they wanted to plot against the Ancient Profound Path and did not want to share the spoils with the other families, would have to restrain their greed and think things through carefully.

Does the Dragon Prince truly possess the ability to preserve the lineage? Headmaster Kang was not optimistic, for Yuejian Mountain had previously vied for supremacy with Taiyi Temple.

Unlike Kang Dabao, who came from a clean background, even if the Chongming clan produced a Nascent Soul cultivator, the Kuang family clan members might not be worried and might even be happy to see it happen.

At this moment, Master Kang, who was receiving guests in the hall, suppressed this thought and placed another bright yellow silk book on the table in front of him.

This silk scroll had just arrived from Fengming Prefecture. On it were several lines of seal script personally written by Emperor Wei, filled with words of praise, which also showed that Emperor Wei truly had a respectful and courteous attitude towards scholars.

Or, one could say that even after the reconquest of the southwest, the actual situation of the Wei dynasty, in the eyes of figures like Emperor Wei who had a comprehensive view of the situation, did not seem to have improved much.

Su Chen, the young eunuch who had recently been serving Kuang Liuting, was no longer considered a nobody outside the Duke's mansion.

He was specially sent by the Duke of Qin to make this trip, so he certainly wouldn't have brought just a worthless and useless silk scroll.

As soon as Su Chen sat down, he felt that Sect Leader Kang was as kind as ever. In addition to the latter personally greeting him, the three seventh-generation elders, Ye Zhengwen, Yuan Jin, and Jiang Qing, were also present.

Eighth-generation disciples, such as Elder Duan Anle of the Beast Garden, who held important positions, also specially put aside their important duties to come and pay their respects.

Seeing that all the elders were present, Su Chen was not intimidated. He simply bowed slightly and said, "Lord Marquis and elders, there is no need for such formalities. Su Chen has come here today not only with His Majesty's silk scroll, but also with the Duke of Qin's oral decree and a small reward, all for Chongmingzong's merits in the battle in the southwest."

After saying that, he took out a plain jade slip from the brocade box he carried with him, bowed and handed it to Kang Dabao: "This is the list of names, please take a look, Your Excellency."

Kang Dabao took a look at the list, which was called a list, but in reality there were not many items. Apart from being granted a cave dwelling outside Taiyuan Capital, he was only given the title of "Huangpi Circuit Pacification Commissioner".

Seeing the strange look in Master Kang's eyes, Su Chen stepped forward and added:
"The Duke also said that although Shannan Road has been completely cleansed, there are no traitorous families left, only good people. The Earl of Feng'en has also led troops to Tengwen Prefecture to wipe out the remaining members of the Liangyi Sect. According to the old system of the Taizu Emperor, all matters in the road should be handled by the Shannan Road General Administration Office."

But the Duke also knew that the Marquis had rendered great service and was extremely loyal; moreover, Yunjiao Prefecture was a fiefdom personally bestowed by the Emperor himself, and there was no reason to arbitrarily strip it of its rights.

"What does Father-in-law mean?"

"It's not Su Chen's idea, but the Duke's," Su Chen paused here, a smile appearing on his face, before continuing:
“Yunjiao Prefecture should continue to be under the jurisdiction of the Marquis. Furthermore, the Earl of Feng'en is relatively young and has suddenly risen to a high position. His administration may be inappropriate, and the Marquis will need to consult with him and provide guidance.”

Kang Dabao held the plain jade slip between his fingers, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He originally thought that giving Kuang Liuting the honorary title of "Huangpi Circuit Pacification Officer" was the limit, but he did not expect that the affiliation of Lianyunjiao Prefecture would be clearly determined, and that he would be given the additional authority of "investigating the affairs of Shannan Circuit".

This was hardly a "promotion" for Kuai En; it was clearly a way to keep an eye on this Earl of Feng'en, lest Kuai En grow too powerful in Shannan Road.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and put on a smile: "I am deeply grateful for your consideration, Your Excellency. Yunjiao Prefecture was personally bestowed by His Majesty, and I will certainly manage it well."
As for the matter of Shannan Road, the Earl of Feng'en is a highly accomplished disciple of the Southern King, possessing exceptional cultivation. I am merely a few years older than him; if I can offer some insignificant advice, it is only my duty.

His words both praised Kuai En and expressed his loyalty, without overstepping any boundaries.

Su Chen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. If it weren't for his past slight relationship with Sect Leader Kang, he wouldn't have needed to be so explicit.

The young eunuch then took out a gold-plated jade seal from the brocade box. The seal was engraved with five seal characters: "Huangpi Dao Suifu" (meaning "pacification of Huangpi Circuit"). He said softly:
"This is the seal of the Pacification Commissioner, please keep it safe, Lord Marquis. Also, the cave dwelling in Taiyuan is adjacent to the branch of Yuquan Lingshan Mountain, and it used to belong to the former Right Clan Minister."

"Former Right Clan Minister?" Kang Dabao frowned, suddenly feeling that the cave dwelling he hadn't yet acquired had become extremely hot to handle.

Su Chenxian had clearly received prior instructions, so he wasn't surprised by Master Kang's reaction. He simply followed his master's instructions and said in a deep voice:
"Ten days ago, the former Right Clan Minister submitted a memorial during a court meeting, praising the Ninth Prince as virtuous, decisive, and a potential prime minister for a wise ruler, and requesting that the current emperor establish him as the heir apparent. The current emperor was furious and stripped him of all his titles and honors, sending him to Liangxi to serve in the army."

Kang Dabao hesitated for a moment, but thankfully his expression didn't change. He then replied slowly, "Oh, I see. Thank you for explaining, sir."

Having said everything he needed to say, Su Chen then took his leave.

Master Kang always knew the importance of having guests to bring prosperity to the family, so he was unwilling to accept. At this moment, Jin Shilun, who was sitting in the hall, was no longer a good cook in front of this distinguished guest.

Several long-established families in Xianzhou had chefs, so they were all invited by the disciples of Chongming Sect.

Su Chen received courteous treatment, enjoying spirit wine and fragrant tea on the first night and acquiring a beautiful woman and a precious steed the next day, before being sent to Fengming Prefecture by a spirit boat fully loaded with cargo.

After the guests left, Kang Dabao summoned his disciples to discuss: "What message did Eunuch Su convey during his visit to Chongmingzong?"

This matter was quite obvious, even Jiang Qing, who had always neglected his duties, could see it clearly. This time, Third Master Jiang showed some disgust and said bluntly:
"It's nothing more than the same old story about how to establish an heir, whether it's the legitimate heir or a concubine, or whether it's a relative or a stranger. Ever since their great-grandfather was captured, the Kuang family has always caused trouble whenever this matter comes up."

Those seated on that throne should have been the most intelligent people in the world, but now, it seems, which one of them isn't muddle-headed?!

“Uh, you,” Yuan Jin said with a smile, shaking his head, while Ye Zhengwen was rather serious. Everyone understood this principle, but he didn’t expect Jiang Qing to say it so bluntly in public.

Seeing that all the disciples looked exhausted, and fearing that Jiang Qing might say something shocking again, Ye Zhengwen stepped forward and said softly, "Sect Leader, Junior Brother Jiang's cultivation has just improved, and he is at a crucial stage of his practice. It is best not to let these mundane matters disturb his peace of mind."

Kang Dabao shook his head as well. He too had been blinded by greed and shouldn't have asked Jiang Qing to come over at this time. He waved his hand lightly and urged, "Go down, go down."

After being kicked out, Third Master Jiang was quite pleased with himself and even clasped his hands in thanks to Ye Zhengwen, leaving his three senior brothers and disciples both amused and exasperated.

After Jiang Qing left, Duan Anle was summoned to the front by Master Kang to fill the vacancy, and was later asked to speak.

This young man was naturally refined and spoke with proper decorum, but Duan Anle respectfully said:
“Master once said that when you were in the capital, you met the Earl of Feng’en in the Moon Marrow Golden Ointment Pool. At that time, he was favored by the Ninth Prince and that’s why he was given such an honor. So the Earl of Feng’en was able to obtain the position of Governor of Shannan Circuit, which may also be due to the Ninth Prince’s instruction.”

Upon hearing Duan Anle mention it, Kang Dabao also picked up this memory.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart again:
"These Kuang family members are really so boring. Fine, fine, let them stir things up. It's not like I'm the one carrying the weight of the twenty-seven circuits and over four hundred prefectures of the Great Wei Dynasty. Well, with such a large family fortune, it's only right that you nobles fight each other to the death."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous again. It took him a long time to shake off the gloom in his heart. Taking this opportunity, he glanced at the jade seal in his hand and began to explain the relevant matters.

He still needs to cultivate diligently afterwards, otherwise wouldn't it be a waste of Master Huquan's sincere intentions?

(The next chapter will be released in a flash.)
(End of this chapter)